Get Upstairs: 40 Years of Firsts at the Royal Court

The Royal Court Theatre will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the opening of its Theatre Upstairs (now the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs) with a series of panel discussions, featuring some of the writers, directors, designers and actors who received their first breaks in that space.

Get Upstairs will celebrate the past, present and future of one of the most influential places in British theatre.

Among those taking part will be director William Gaskill, who founded the Theatre Upstairs, Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo, who began her career at the Royal Court, Mark Ravenhill, whose seminal play Shopping and F*cking opened Upstairs, Max Stafford-Clark, who directed dozens of plays Upstairs, Nicholas Wright, who was the first Artistic Director of the Theatre Upstairs, and award-winning playwrights Joe Penhall and Bola Agbaje, whose work has premiered in the space.

The Ripple Effect
Tuesday 3 November, 7pm
Five authors of ground-breaking Theatre Upstairs plays discuss their work.
Chair: Mark Ravenhill, playwright and director
Panel:
Bola Agbaje, playwright
Joe Penhall, playwright
Winsome Pinnock, playwright
Marius von Mayenburg, playwright

Is Small Beautiful?
Wednesday 4 November, 7pm
The founder of the Theatre Upstairs, and its first Artistic Director discuss programming and directing in the space with more recent Artistic and Associate Directors.
Chair: Jeremy Herrin, Deputy Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
Panel:
Max Stafford-Clark, former Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
William Gaskill, former Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
Ramin Gray, former Associate Director, Royal Court Theatre
Nicholas Wright, former Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre

Infinite Worlds in a Black Box
Thursday 5 November, 7pm
Designers and other practitioners share how they have explored the potential and approached the limitations of the space.
Chair Paul Handley, Head of Production, Royal Court Theatre
Panel includes:
Hildegard Bechtler, designer
Jeremy Herbert, designer
Ian Rickson, former Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
Ultz, designer

Friday 6 November, 7pm
Close Encounters
Actors discuss the unique experience of defining roles for the first time in the bold, challenging, sometimes notorious work that has originated in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

Chair: Daniel Evans, actor and director
Panel includes:
Kenneth Cranham, actor
Sophie Okonedo, actor

Get Upstairs: 40 Years of Firsts at the Royal Court runs from 3 to 6 November 2009

Box office: 020 7565 5000
Address: Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AS
All tickets: £7.50